Influence of musculo-tendinous stiffness of the plantar ankle flexor muscles upon maximal power output on a cycle ergometre

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology 2012-11, Vol.112 (11), p.3721-3728
• Main Authors: Driss, Tarak, Lambertz, Daniel, Rouis, Majdi, Vandewalle, Henry
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ankle; Ankle Joint - physiology; Bicycling; Bioengineering; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomechanics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Elasticity; Exercise Test - standards; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human health and pathology; Human Physiology; Humans; Imaging; Life Sciences; Male; Mechanics; Muscle Contraction; Muscle Tonus - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Physics; Sports Medicine; Tendons; Tendons - physiology; Tissues and Organs; Torque; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-012-2353-5

The importance of maximal voluntary torque ( T MVC ), maximal rate of torque development (MRTD) and musculo-tendinous stiffness of the triceps surae for maximal power output on a cycle ergometre ( P max ) was studied in 21 healthy subjects by studying the relationships between maximal cycling power related to body mass ( P max  BM −1 ) with T MVC , MRTD and different indices of musculo-tendinous stiffness of the ankle flexor. P max  BM −1 was calculated from the data of an all-out force–velocity test on a Monark cycle ergometre. T MVC and MRTD were measured on a specific ankle ergometre. Musculo-tendinous stiffness was estimated by means of quick releases at 20, 40, 60 and 80% T MVC on the same ankle ergometre. P max  BM −1 was significantly and positively correlated with MRTD related to body mass but the positive correlation between P max  BM −1 and T MVC did not reach the significance level (0.05). P max  BM −1 was significantly and positively correlated with the estimation of stiffness at 40% T MVC (S 0.4 ), but not with stiffness at 20, 60 and 80% T MVC . The results of the present study suggest that maximal power output during cycling is significantly correlated with the level of musculo-tendinous stiffness which corresponds to torque range around peak torque at optimal pedal rate. However, the low coefficient of determination ( r 2  = 0.203) between P max  BM −1 and S 0.4  BM −1 suggested that P max  BM −1 largely depended on other factors than the musculo-tendinous stiffness of the only plantar flexors.